


Fickle as a Changeful Dream

by Mara



Category: S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24716695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: Zhao Zhen can’t sleep.
Relationships: Bái Chí/Zhào Zhēn
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40





	Fickle as a Changeful Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little character piece to wrap up a loose thread in season 1.

Zhao Zhen had—until now—considered himself a master of manipulation. Not in a bad way like his uncle, of course. No, he did it to protect people by keeping Uncle Meng from killing anyone. And also to entertain people. So it was fine.

And then…he lost control of Uncle Meng and there was a dead child. Standing in that cemetery, facing down his failure, was bad enough. Especially with all those people witness to it. But Uncle Meng, he’d said he’d raised Zhao Zhen to be as much like Zhao Jue as possible. And that sometimes he was.

No! Zhao Zhen rolled over in his enormous bed for the millionth time. He wasn’t like Zhao Jue! He didn’t, he wasn’t…

Just as had happened every other time he went down this mental path, the image of Bai Chi surfaced. First his childhood terror at the sight of a frog, which Zhao Zhen used to literally silence him. Then adult Bai Chi’s hurt expression as Zhao Zhen deliberately baited him, insulted him. Over and over.

Bai Chi was very intelligent but not worldly. Not a master of social graces. And Zhao Zhen had used that. He’d played with him. Just like his uncle had done with so many people.

Surely it made a difference that he wasn’t killing anyone, right?

Zhao Zhen could imagine Bai Chi’s disappointed expression. “It’s still not nice,” he would say. Or something like that.

How much had he been influenced by Uncle Meng? How much of him had been twisted by Zhao Jue’s legacy?

Staring at the ceiling, Zhao Zhen acknowledged that he wasn’t likely to answer the question while tossing and turning. He could always go to Dr. Zhan, ask him for help in untangling his psyche. 

That wasn’t appealing on several levels. Dr. Zhan himself was shadowed by Zhao Jue’s legacy. It was difficult to tell if it was even safe to trust him. Not to mention that Zhao Zhen’s ego found the idea of admitting his failures to Dr. Zhan extremely distasteful.

Who could help him? Who _would_ help him?

Rubbing his tired eyes, Zhao Zhen finally admitted to the only possible answer.

Bai Chi.

He was the only person untainted by Zhao Jue. Possibly the only person capable of remaining untainted. He might be unworldly, but he was _good_.

Bai Chi was a fundamentally good person in a way that made Zhao Zhen itch to ruffle him, just as he’d been doing. But Bai Chi would forgive him, because he was like that.

Maybe Bai Chi could teach him something about being good.

Not _too_ good. But good enough.

Good enough to know he wasn’t Zhao Jue, manipulating everyone around him like mahjong tiles, used to either make a point or a profit.

Alone in his big empty house, Zhao Zhen resolved to sell the house and all the now-ruined memories it held. He’d sell it and start fresh somewhere else.

Somewhere with Bai Chi.

Eyes finally slipping closed, Zhao Zhen imagined sitting on Bai Chi’s couch again, but this time as an invited guest rather than an intruder.

Just a few weeks ago, it would have been a mildly appalling thought, but now it sounded appealing. Bai Chi got upset easily but he forgave even more easily. How did that work?

Zhao Zhen hoped he would find out.

—end—


End file.
